Kaiser didn't actually know who the final victor was between Erica and Seishuin Ena.
Logically speaking, based on their respective strengths, Seishuin Ena, who could borrow the power of Susanoo, should have had the upper hand and should have been able to secure victory. However, Erica Blandelli differed from Liliana in that she would also use scheming and strategy during battle.
Why did Liliana always call Erica a vixen?
Because she was sly!
Even though the two were evenly matched in terms of strength, whenever they fought, it was always Erica who gained the upper hand, while Liliana was repeatedly toyed with in the palm of Erica's hand. What's more, Erica changed her methods each time, driving Liliana mad with frustration.
While Seishuin Ena was stronger than Liliana, she was also even more straightforward, her style more inclined toward physical combat.
In such circumstances, if Erica employed some tricks during the fight, there was certainly a possibility of turning the tide and seizing victory.
Unfortunately, the two of them were still ordinary humans. Though certainly exceptional among normal fighters, in the eyes of gods or Campiones, they were far too insignificant. Even if they fought inside the Shichio Shrine, the disturbance they could cause was still limited. It was absolutely impossible to compare to Kaiser's battles against gods, which always shook the heavens and the earth. As a result, all Kaiser heard were some clashing swords and minor explosions—beyond that, he had no idea what had happened.
When the two returned to the living room, their demeanor was perfectly normal, as if the previous duel had never occurred. It was impossible to tell who had won or lost. The only exception was Liliana, who had witnessed everything and now wore a complicated expression—leaving others to smile knowingly.
Seeing that none of the three had any intention of offering an explanation, Kaiser was happy to relax and didn't bother asking.
After all, no matter what, for his sake, those two were never going to go all out with intent to kill. Since that was the case, he might as well let them do as they pleased.
It's worth mentioning that Liliana had approached Kaiser privately afterward with a request.
"Your Majesty, may I serve you in the capacity of a knight?"
She was clearly provoked by Erica's earlier comment: "You are not a knight under our king's banner, but a captured maid."
Her rival was competing for the position of First Knight, yet she herself was merely a maid? How could Liliana possibly accept that?
And so, for once, she thickened her face and made her request to Kaiser, hoping he would show leniency.
Kaiser didn't particularly mind, but he still insisted that Liliana continue handling the household chores.
Joking aside, it was precisely because of her "domestic goddess" nature that he'd punished her by assigning her the role of a maid in the first place—how could he let that value go to waste?
Liliana didn't reject doing chores either. She simply insisted on doing them in the capacity of a knight, not a maid...
And so, a strange existence was born—read as "knight," written as "maid."
As for the matter of Liliana being detained for punishment rather than being officially taken under Kaiser's command, that had long since been forgotten by everyone. Even the Bronze Black Cross hadn't dared to utter a single complaint, never once asking about it, as if they'd already tacitly acknowledged that Liliana now belonged to him.
In any case, after Kaiser agreed to Liliana's request, she departed happily.
As for Mariya Yuri... hmm, she returned home once, seemingly to confirm something. That same night, she vanished and didn't come back to stay at the office, as if she were making a very clumsy attempt at keeping her distance.
Coupled with the fact that Erica and Seishuin Ena had also disappeared without explanation—who knew what disputes might have occurred—Kaiser found himself in rare peace that evening.
"Having things quiet like this once in a while isn't bad either."
In the office's bathroom, Kaiser lay soaking comfortably in the bathtub.
He rarely took baths, but in this island nation, bathing was a deeply respected practice. The bathtub here was also quite large, which, for once, gave Kaiser the urge to enjoy a soak.
But as he bathed, he heard a voice that absolutely should not have appeared here.
"Everyone needs to relax now and then. You just finished a divine battle—I can understand. But for me to get this close to you without you noticing anything strange... dear brother, this kind of carelessness is unacceptable."
A voice so melodious it sounded like heavenly music suddenly reached his ears, causing Kaiser's body to stiffen.
Then, as expected, he noticed a figure floating in mid-air above the bathtub—right there in the bathroom.
That goddess-like beauty, that voluptuous figure with skin like jade, and that heavenly voice... who else could it be but Luo Hao?
She floated weightlessly in mid-air, looking down at the bathing Kaiser like a sovereign surveying her domain—noble and proud.
"...Sister Cuilian?"
Kaiser's mouth twitched as he tentatively spoke.
"It's me." Luo Hao still looked down on Kaiser, snorted softly upon seeing his reaction, and said, "You can't even recognize your own countrywoman? There is no one in this world who could mistake the figure of Luo Cuilian, dear brother."
"...It's precisely because I recognized you that I couldn't believe it," Kaiser muttered after a moment of silence. "After all, who would've thought that the elder sister I just acknowledged not long ago would suddenly appear in my bathroom?"
And while he was bathing, no less.
However, Luo Hao completely misunderstood his meaning.
"There is no place in this world I cannot go," Luo Hao said proudly, raising her head. "All under heaven belongs to the king, dear brother. Do you not understand such a simple truth?"
This wasn't a matter of whether one could go somewhere!
This was a bathroom! And there was already someone bathing here! A man!
And you—my dear Sister Cuilian—you're a woman!
What's more...
"What's with your outfit!?"
Kaiser looked at the floating Luo Hao and twitched the corner of his mouth again.
At this moment, Luo Hao was no longer wearing the traditional Hanfu she'd worn last time. Instead, she had on a bathrobe that was absurdly loose.
Not only was the robe loose, but its material was also extremely thin—pretty much everything that should and shouldn't be exposed was on display, barely covering the essentials just enough to maintain its status as clothing.
That made Luo Hao's overly voluptuous and seductive figure basically visible in its entirety. Even Kaiser was beginning to feel flustered.
And yet Luo Hao remained entirely unaware.
"One must dress appropriately for the occasion—this is proper etiquette, no?" Luo Hao looked at Kaiser with the eyes of a mentor scolding a wayward junior, and said in a lecturing tone, "Our great land of China is known as the land of propriety. Dear brother, even if you've spent years wandering abroad, you should still have some understanding of this. Otherwise, you'll only become a laughingstock and bring disgrace to your title as a king."
...Why is it that even though she's clearly spouting nonsense, I still feel like she's making sense?
Is it me that has a problem? Or is it her?
Kaiser started questioning life itself.
"So what you're saying is—I'm the one making a fuss over nothing?"
Kaiser muttered to himself.
"No need to be disheartened. You're still young, after all—there's much to learn." Luo Hao, seeing this, actually offered some kind words. "Since I've acknowledged you as my dear brother, and you call me Sister, then as the elder, I'll properly educate you and help mold you into a proper king."
If Lu Yinghua saw this side of Luo Hao, he would probably wonder if he'd gone mad.
That arrogant, self-absorbed, tyrannical cult leader who always acted as if no one else in the world mattered—now speaking so kindly and warmly to a man? That had to mean the sun was rising from the west.
Luo Hao herself seemed to find this amusing, and chuckled lightly.
"To think it's truly strange—after more than two hundred years of life, all my old acquaintances have passed away one after another, and yet here I am, in a foreign land, gaining a younger brother. Truly, the world is full of surprises."
Perhaps even she didn't realize that her current expression and tone were incredibly gentle—utterly different from the infamous fierce demoness of the past.
Normally, she was extremely narcissistic—anyone who merely saw her body would have to gouge out their eyes, anyone who heard her voice would have to cut off their ears. That was how cruel she was.
But for some reason, in front of Kaiser—her fellow countryman and fellow Campione—Luo Hao always seemed to show unexpected tolerance.
Even more so—upon seeing Kaiser lying in the bath with a content expression—Luo Hao suddenly had a thought, and reached for her sash to undo her robe.
In the next second, the thin bathrobe slipped off her smooth skin, causing Kaiser's eyes to widen.
That exquisite sight abruptly entered his field of vision, stunning him into silence.
Luo Hao remained entirely unfazed as her slender and curvy body, now completely exposed, descended with gravity—and in full view of Kaiser—slipped into the bathwater.
"I have no siblings. My memories from before I became king are long since blurred and discarded like worn shoes. But I have heard that siblings who are very close will bathe together like this."
Luo Hao proudly shared this unknown source of information.
"Now, with nothing hidden between us, and me showing my sincerity, our relationship can be considered very close, no?"
...This goes way beyond just close!
Siblings?
Is this how sisters test their brothers in this world?
Who the hell could pass this kind of test!?
Kaiser was utterly speechless.
Still, looking at the smug Luo Hao, Kaiser thought it over, hesitated for a while, and finally decided not to argue over her ridiculous words and behavior.
After all, he wasn't losing anything—so why get worked up?
Such a massive benefit was laid bare before him. If he didn't take a good look, wouldn't that be a waste of the blessing?
Thinking that, Kaiser accepted it—and subtly concealed his, shall we say, "compromised" state...